Nick Smith
18 August, 2011
Environment Minister Nick Smith today released
a discussion document, Measuring Up, seeking
public feedback on a proposal for a new
Environmental Reporting Act.
“We need to strengthen
the integrity of New Zealand’s clean, green
brand by requiring independent and nationally
consistent reporting on the state of our
environment,” Dr Smith said at an event
in Wellington to mark the 25th anniversary
of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the
Environment.
"We are the only OECD country not required
by law to produce independent state of the
environment reports, yet we more than any
depend on our natural environment for so
much of our wealth and economic success.
“We are proposing to make the Parliamentary
Commissioner for the Environment responsible
for independently reporting on the state
of the environment every five years. It
will report on important issues like water
quality, air quality, coast and oceans management,
waste and our native plants and animals.
The proposals include amendments to the
RMA to improve the consistency of environmental
monitoring across regions for national reporting.
This would enable the PCE to rank our lakes
and rivers from the cleanest to the dirtiest
and identify which are improving and which
are deteriorating.
“This reform was recommended by the Land
and Water Forum as part of improving New
Zealand’s fresh water management. Some regional
councils monitor problem areas; others do
on the basis of recreational usage or on
a representative basis. This inconsistency
enables some to minimise the problem and
others to exaggerate them. Clear environmental
reports will avoid wasting energy in a debate
over data and help focus everyone on addressing
the problem.
“This reform is part of the Government’s
bluegreen agenda to improve New Zealand’s
environmental institutions. Our first step
was restructuring the Environment Ministry
to bolster its policy capability. The second
step was creating the Environmental Protection
Authority. This third step is to strengthen
the audit functions of the Parliamentary
Commissioner for the Environment.
“This discussion document on the proposed
Environmental Reporting Act is the public’s
chance to have a say on what a national-level
environmental monitoring and reporting system
for New Zealand should look like.”
+ More
$11.6 million clean
up plan for NZ’s most polluted lake
Nick Smith
25 August, 2011
Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere is to be cleaned
up with a $11.6 million plan involving Government,
Ngai Tahu, Environment Canterbury, Fonterra,
Selwyn District Council, Lincoln University
and the local community, Environment Minister
Nick Smith announced today at Ngati Moki
Marae.
“Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere is New Zealand’s
most polluted lake and a co-ordinated cleanup
is overdue. This plan involves changes to
the Water Conservation Order, millions of
dollars to fund clean up work, changes to
farm practices in the lake’s catchments,
riparian planting and relationship agreements
to keep the work programme on track,” Dr
Smith said.
“I have approved amendments to the Lake
Ellesmere Water Conservation Order that
changes the period the lake can be opened
to encourage fish migration, requires stronger
protection of the lake’s outstanding features,
and officially recognises the dual Te Waihora/Lake
Ellesmere name. These changes are to be
gazetted today and take effect on 22 September
2011.
“$11.6 million is being committed to clean
up the lake made up of contributions of
$6.1 million from the Government, $3.5 million
from Environment Canterbury, $1.3 million
from Fonterra, $500,000 from Ngai Tahu and
the balance from the Selwyn District Council,
Waihora Ellesmere Trust and Lincoln University.
There will also be a substantial commitment
to the clean up from local volunteers.
“This is the most significant fresh water
clean up project New Zealand has undertaken
because of the severity of the pollution
and the size of the lake. It has taken 50
years for it to get into this mess and it
will take a long-term commitment to put
it right. The significance of today is that
Ngai Tahu, farmers, community representatives,
local, regional and central government,
as well as New Zealand’s largest company,
are committed to working together to drive
the changes needed to reduce pollutants
entering the lake and put it on the road
to recovery.
“This collaboration is a credit to Ngai
Tahu, Fonterra, Environment Canterbury and
its Commissioners and I look forward to
all parties working with the Government
to restore this important lake.”
